Significant Donation Helped USO Expand Its Impact in Europe
July 19 2024 - 9:30AM
Stephen and Christine Schwarzman donated one of the largest gifts
to date to the USO’s European Expansion & Family Support
Campaign to help the organization continue to innovate and expand
its impact throughout Germany, Poland, Romania as well as Finland
to Bulgaria and other countries across Europe. Throughout 2023, the
USO needed to expand its operations in the region to meet the needs
of all service members and their families. With the war in Ukraine
now in its third year, there are still tens of thousands of U.S.
service members either deployed or permanently stationed in Europe.
Mr. Schwarzman is the Chairman, CEO and Co-founder of
Blackstone, one of the world’s leading investment firms. In the
last decade, Blackstone portfolio companies have hired over 100,000
veterans, veteran spouses and caregivers.
“We were proud to support service members and their families in
Europe with this gift to the USO,” said Stephen and Christine
Schwarzman. “These men and women currently serving deserve our
utmost gratitude. Anything we can do to make their time spent
overseas more comfortable is an honor for us.”
When service members are newly deployed or find themselves in
remote duty stations, they know they can always count on the USO.
Because of generous donors, like Stephen and Christine Schwarzman,
the USO was able to increase its footprint at a rapid speed in
Europe. The USO is the only nonprofit organization uniquely
positioned to deliver scalable impact to the people serving in the
military.
Within the very first days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in
2022, the USO was there, providing deployed service members hot
meals, care packages and more. As the need continued to grow for
the U.S. military to be in the region in 2023, the USO swiftly
expanded its support in Eastern Europe across 2,000 miles north to
south — including areas and countries never before served by the
USO.
In 2023, the USO opened four new staffed Centers in the region.
In addition, when some deployment locations are deemed unsafe or
too isolated for civilian USO staff members to operate a center
full-time, the USO establishes unstaffed centers -- seven new
unstaffed Centers also opened in the region last year.
At the September 2023 ribbon-cutting event for the opening of
the temporary USO Center at Bemowo Piskie Training Area in Poland,
USO Europe, Middle East and Africa Regional Vice President Grant
McCormick said, “This campaign is critical to the execution of our
expansion plan, and the generosity of Stephen and Christine
Schwarzman lays the foundation for a strong presence of support for
the people serving our nation in this region – no matter the
mission. This new center standing here is a significant symbol, a
physical declaration that signals America’s resolve and support for
those serving overseas.”
From deploying to unfamiliar places to being separated from
their loved ones for prolonged periods of time, the people serving
in our nation’s military selflessly put their mission above all
else. Looking forward, the USO will continue to ensure that service
members in Eastern Europe and their families back home receive the
support they need for as long as it takes. It is through generous
supporters of the USO, like Stephen and Christine Schwarzman, that
this transformational impact on the well-being of service members
in the region is possible. We’re with them — always.
About the USO:The USO is the leading nonprofit
dedicated to the well-being of all people serving in the U.S.
military and their families. Since 1941, the USO has been by the
side of service members throughout their military service.
Impactful support is provided through our 250+ locations around the
world, a robust care package delivery program, global
entertainment, military spouse and youth programming, and much
more, all made possible by dedicated donors, corporate partners,
volunteers and staff. To learn more and support our critical
mission around the globe, please visit USO.org or follow us
on Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Jennifer Passey
USO
jpassey@uso.org